Michigan Backyard Journal

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Welcome to our backyard

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Latest Dog Posts

  • Steve’s Catch & Release Nature Day
    Daytime Toad, Trapped Snake, the Mating Rituals of Wild Turkeys, baby Rabbits I (Elizabeth) got up and left the house at about 9am. Steve was staying up waiting for Duke to begin his day (it’s Duke’s world & we just live in it these days). He walked outside just after I left and he found… Read more: Steve’s Catch & Release Nature Day
  • The Dilemma of Beau the Boar
    Duke has an emotional support pig. Last summer he got a bark box that had this toy they call “Beau the Boar”. It has a grunter instead of a squeaker which makes a sound that is more pleasing to Duke. It also is the perfect size for his mouth. He can catch it out of… Read more: The Dilemma of Beau the Boar
  • One Couch = One Coonhound
    Tilda mostly sleeps curled into a tight ball after turning around and around 27 times. But, sometimes – she sprawls right out and takes up as much room as possible. She can take up an entire couch! Duke doesn’t get up on anything anymore. He uses a ramp mostly for going outside. Inside he has… Read more: One Couch = One Coonhound

Read more posts about our dogs, Duke & Tilda

Birdwatching Updates

  • Spring Flowers
    I love springtime. I think the older I get the more my favorite season it becomes. There’s so much potential! My irises are really doing awesome this year. So far, I just have the white ones, but tons of blooms and then this purple and white one. I should have some more colors but I… Read more: Spring Flowers
  • Wren raids the Robin nest in the kennel
    We have the 2 American Robin nests we are watching: The Kennel Nest and the Light Nest. The Kennel Nest was built a few days before the Light Nest. Both are in high visibility and high traffic areas of our yard. A pair of robins has tried nesting at the Kennel before and was not… Read more: Wren raids the Robin nest in the kennel
  • Birdfy Camera – First Views
    I ordered a Birdfy camera, Birdfy Feeder with a Hummee set, a solar panel, and an extra bracket on 5/6/2024 from Birdfy directly. On 5/11/2024 I received the Birdfy camera and the Hummee set, but no Birdfy feeder, solar panel and just one bracket kit. I contacted Birdfy support over chat and they let me… Read more: Birdfy Camera – First Views

Read more posts about birdwatching

The Toads of our Yard

  • So. Many. Toads.
    It’s been a good year for toads. As it starts getting hotter & drier most years they move on, so not sure how much longer they’ll be here. So, we had to head out in the last couple weeks on a toad hunt. Here’s some of our favorite photos. First up is the one we… Read more: So. Many. Toads.
  • Tale of 3 Toads
    Steve spotted these 3 toads while I was away. It was one of those days where there were a lot of flying insects, some light rain and all of the toads were out earlier in the day than we typically see them. Check out this video of 3 toads that he saw that day. He… Read more: Tale of 3 Toads
  • Steve’s Catch & Release Nature Day
    Daytime Toad, Trapped Snake, the Mating Rituals of Wild Turkeys, baby Rabbits I (Elizabeth) got up and left the house at about 9am. Steve was staying up waiting for Duke to begin his day (it’s Duke’s world & we just live in it these days). He walked outside just after I left and he found… Read more: Steve’s Catch & Release Nature Day

Read more posts about toads

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Meet Our Pets

Matilda Wilma

Female Coonhound Mix
Adopted Date: 3/29/2017

We rescued Tilda as she is affectionately known in March of 2017. She was estimated to be a year old at the time. The beginning of her life was tied to a stake in Georgia until moving from shelter to shelter. She’s now got some titles, RATI and RATN and has become a confident, well behaved companion dog.

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Duke

Male Basset Hound
Adopted Date: 1/08/2019
Birth Date: 7/11/2011

We initially fostered Duke through Basset Hound Rescue of Michigan in January of 2019. After a couple of weeks though, we knew he was our forever hound. He was surrendered by his owner. He & Tilda have gotten along well and he fits right in here. He loves squeaky toys, playing fetch and catching treats.

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The Fish Tank

55 Gallon Community Tank
Continuously running since 12/24/2014

Our current inhabitants (as of 4/19/2023) – 1 bristlenose pleco, 3 yoyo loaches, 1 nerite snail, 3 bosemani rainbowfish, 6 giant danios, 5 cardinal tetras, 6 neon tetras

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    All Posts

    Some of our Favorite Bird Pics

    • Juvenile Male Red Winged Blackbird
    • Indigo Bunting
      Indigo Bunting
    • White Breasted Nuthatch
    • Pileated woodpecker
    • Sparrow – Winter chippy maybe?
    • American Goldfinch
    • Northern Cardinal
    • Eastern Towhee
    • Sparrow – White Crested I think
    • Wild Turkey
    • Brown Thrasher
    • American Robin
    • Female Red Bellied woodpecker

    In Memory

    Remembering our pets who are waiting for us at the rainbow bridge. Click their names to read all posts about them.

    Our first basset hound, our weasel dog. Our first dog together, Steve’s first dog ever. Quincy was the life of this house and yard. She made us feel like a family. She made our house feel like a home. Cancer took her from us far too young. We miss her.

    Quincy

    Mighty Quincy, Queen of the Ozarks

    1/18/2008 – 2/9/2017

    The cat never exactly had a name. We called her “Cat” or “Kitty”. At the vet she was known as June, that’s the month she showed up. She just appeared here one day in 2013 and I fed her a can of tuna and then she became my cat. That’s sort of how cats work. She was a dog trainer. She trained all my hounds to get along with a cat. She is missed.

    My Cat

    The Cat

    June 2013 – 11/14/2022

    Lovingly known as Mr. Chip, this goofy hound was meant to be ours. He suffered his first seizure at 6 months old. battled seizure disorder and later Cushing’s disease. He loved food, treats, and us. He knew he needed us and we needed him. He was a good boy.

    Sir Chippington King of the Ozarks

    12/18/2009 – 9/4/2018

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    Read all about the monarch butterfly population in our backyard

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